Bournemouth Events Calendar

Bournemouth Christmas Festival

November 15, 2015 - January 3, 2016

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This Christmas, the award-winning Gardens of Light return to Bournemouth with a glowing trail of projections and illuminations, ice skating under the trees and a Santa Express land train service. Throw in a giant snow globe and Bournemouth is the perfect destination for a festive day out!

From 19 November – 3 January (except Christmas Day), visitors to Bournemouth can skate on real ice under the trees in the resort’s historic Lower Gardens. Open to skaters and passers-by alike are the rink-side après-skate chalets where South Coast Roast and Hilton Bournemouth’s Matt Tebbutt will be serving a menu of warming food, including Rösti, sharing cheese fondues and home-popped corn, as well as luxury hot chocolate with dipping marshmallows. There will also be a full bar serving mulled wine, cider and champagne on ice.

All of this is set among the spectacular Gardens of Light which will feature a trail of light projections and illuminations, a selection of the now famous light pods and a brand new installation courtesy of the lighting design team at Michael Grubb Studio – Lighting Design Awards 2015 finalists and known for their work on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. The Gardens of Light are completely free to explore and open on 19 November.

New this Christmas (19 November – 30 December), Bournemouth’s iconic land train will be running a special hop-on hop-off Santa Express route for children… and weary shoppers! Town centre businesses have also clubbed together to bring a giant snow globe to four locations across two weeks from 23 November – 6 December. Visitors will be able to climb in for a photograph which will be printed and available to take away the same day.